Send a handover note written for a keeper who knows nothing about this fish, covering seven fields in this order: species and present size, food type with amount and timing, usual tank temperature, normal test readings, the water-change routine in plain steps, quirks and companions, and any health history worth passing on. Write the note while the fish is still with you, reading values off your own thermometer, test kit and diary rather than reconstructing them from memory the night before the move.
The Seven Fields, Filled In Properly
Species and present size means the full common name, the scientific name if you know it, and the fish's current length, plus the length an adult typically reaches. Food type with amount and timing means the exact foods you feed, a pinch or cube count a stranger can copy, the times of day, and any foods the fish refuses or must never be offered. Usual tank temperature means the reading your heater holds day to day, not the range printed on a shop label. Normal test readings means your tank's usual ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH results, written as the values you normally see, so the new keeper can tell a settled reading from a worrying one. The water-change routine in plain steps means how much water you change, how often, how you treat the fresh water, and how you match its temperature before it goes in. Quirks and companions means who the fish lives with, who it bullies or hides from, where it sleeps, and the odd habits that are normal for this individual. Health history worth passing on means past illnesses, treatments the fish has had, and anything a vet or shop has flagged before, described plainly as history rather than as instructions to repeat a treatment.
A Worked Example of the Note Itself
A usable note reads like this, in ordinary sentences the new keeper can follow at feeding time. Species and present size: one male betta, about six centimetres, kept alone. Food type with amount and timing: four small pellets morning and evening, one frozen bloodworm portion twice a week, nothing on Sunday. Usual tank temperature: the heater holds about 26 degrees Celsius. Normal test readings: ammonia zero, nitrite zero, nitrate usually between five and ten, pH around seven. The water-change routine in plain steps: change about a quarter of the water every week, treat the fresh water first, warm it to tank temperature, then pour it in slowly. Quirks and companions: he flares at red objects, rests on the broad leaf near the surface at night, and panics if the lid lifts suddenly. Health history worth passing on: he had a torn fin the previous spring that healed without treatment, and a shop advised watching his fins after any move. Adapt the wording to your fish, but keep the seven fields and their order, so nothing essential hides inside a friendly paragraph.
Making the Handover Stick
Deliver the note twice: once in advance, so the school or club can ask questions and buy the right food before the fish arrives, and once taped beside the tank or filed in the tank's own folder on the day. Walk one named person through a feed and a water change while the fish is still in your care if distance allows, and leave your phone number with an honest offer to answer questions during the first month. Mention anything that must not happen, such as moving the fish into a tank with fin-nipping companions or feeding extra portions for keen pupils, because new keepers rarely guess the prohibitions. A careful note protects the fish from the classic first-week mistakes of overfeeding, mismatched water and well-meant interference. Pet Passport in KinsLe holds that same seven-field note alongside the rest of the fish's records, so the packet you hand over is complete rather than assembled from loose scraps.